choosing a dentist
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can be serious medical problems. Improperly treated obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes and other serious illnesses. Choosing a sleep-disorders dentist who is qualified to work with your physician is essential to your health or the health of a loved one.
The dentist you choose to treat your problem with sleep disordered breathing must be properly educated and with adequate experience. Legally, any dentist can treat snoring and/or sleep apnea with an oral appliance, however, that does not mean that every dentist has the necessary experience and training to provide proper therapy. Because no special qualifications are required it is your responsibility to choose your dentist wisely and, If possible, work with a dentist that is board certified by the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
A qualified sleep-disorders dentist should have:
- Appropriate knowledge of sleep medicine
- Adequate training in oral appliance therapy
- Years of experience with many different appliance types
- Solid relationships with local sleep labs and sleep physicians
- Current knowledge of emerging trends
- Ability to derive maximum insurance benefits for you
- A team approach with other professionals
- A proven follow-up system to ensure healthy results long-term
- In-depth knowledge of oral appliance research
And beware of dentists who claim they have a "secret" process or an "exclusive appliance" that only they can use. Ask about diagnostic devices as well as the oral appliances that are used and about the science that supports their use. All effective and FDA approved appliances are available to ALL dentists with no restrictions as to their use.
Since sleep disorders dentistry is not a recognized specialty, it is your responsibility to thoroughly evaluate a dentists qualifications to perform this MEDICAL therapy. As mentioned abouve, any dentist can legally treat snoring and sleep apnea but obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical problem that has been associated with cardiac problems, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, ED and numerous other medical problems. Neither snoring nor sleep apnea should be taken lightly as your health is at stake. Recent research is beginning to explore the complex interrelationship beetween sleep apnea and these other medical problems. Management by a dentist should always involve interaction with your family physician, cardiologist, pulonologist and/or endocrinologist.
